Reshma Saujani, founder of the influential nonprofit Girls Who Code, offered a candid view into her entrepreneurial journey during a recent conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Speaking on Meghan’s newly-launched podcast “Confessions of a Female Founder,” Saujani was refreshingly frank about her beginnings. “If I had applied to be CEO of Girls Who Code, I wouldn’t have gotten the job,” she admitted, adding candidly, “I didn’t code.”
Before founding the now well-established organization, Saujani was a political science major who had previously undertaken a failed run for Congress in 2010, becoming the first Indian-American woman to seek congressional office. Her lack of formal coding skills was no barrier; driven by both conviction and urgency, Saujani went on to build what has become one of the most recognized coding education initiatives in tech.
Girls Who Code boasts an impressive record, having trained more than 670,000 girls, women, and nonbinary individuals in STEM-related skills. With support in earlier years from towering tech figures like Jack Dorsey and corporate giants like Microsoft, Girls Who Code has endured even as other similar diversity-focused organizations have faced backlash amid shifting attitudes around diversity initiatives in Silicon Valley.
In their conversation, Saujani and Meghan delved into challenges often quietly endured by female founders juggling entrepreneurship, motherhood, and personal crises. Saujani shared experiences of personal struggle, revealing how she navigated building Girls Who Code while privately suffering miscarriages and dealing with an autoimmune disorder. “I was performing in front of these children whom I desperately wanted myself,” she reflected. “It was eating me up inside.”
The podcast dialogue felt especially significant for Saujani, who first connected with Meghan through Girls Who Code’s 2019 expansion into the United Kingdom. She described their reunion as a meaningful “full-circle moment.”
Meghan described their talk as one that offered valuable perspectives on social entrepreneurship. “I hope our conversation inspires others to explore a different vertical of entrepreneurial leadership—social entrepreneurship,” she told TechCrunch. She highlighted her show’s broader aim to illuminate the realities faced by women at different stages of building their ventures. Within its first week, “Confessions of a Female Founder” soared rapidly, ranking number one on Apple’s business podcasts category—outperforming well-established names such as Scott Galloway’s “The Prof F Pod.”
During the episode, Meghan and Saujani shared insights including the familiar adage: when you approach someone explicitly for money, you often receive advice instead; but by leading with a request for advice, one frequently winds up with the needed funding. The conversation was rich with guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs, combined with an unflinching portrayal of what many founders, particularly female ones, experience but typically do not reveal publicly.
Saujani also candidly discussed the influence of her childhood experiences as the daughter of Indian immigrants, recalling how bullying shaped her awareness of being different. “I got beat up pretty bad,” she remembered, noting it only intensified her resolve to empower others through education and advocacy.
As artificial intelligence proliferates—posing both opportunities and distinct threats, including ‘deepfake’ videos disproportionately impacting young women—Saujani emphasized the continued need to invest in women’s involvement in STEM fields. Girls Who Code has already introduced over 8,000 youths to artificial intelligence, acknowledging how crucial it remains to increase female participation in cutting-edge tech.
After establishing herself as an influential leader in tech education, Saujani transitioned to advocacy through Moms First, an initiative raising awareness of and advocating for better workplace and policy conditions for mothers. She praised Meghan for being an early supporter of the movement.
Reflecting upon an era of declining women’s rights in certain spheres, Saujani advocates persistence, even through setbacks. “You lose again and again—but eventually, you win,” she summarized, encapsulating the resilient essence of her journey and the central theme of her conversation with Meghan.
